Planning an Auto Technician Training Program for Your Shop
In a time of technician shortages and rapidly advancing automotive technology, you need to focus on retaining your valued technicians and advancing their knowledge. Doing so will help them stay competitive in their careers and ensure that your shop can inspect, maintain, and repair cars and light trucks of all sorts, whether they are electric, hybrid, or internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
When selecting auto technician training or reviewing training plans proposed by your technicians, you’ll want to consider basic variables, like course quality, practical applicability, and instructor expertise. But there are many more factors to consider as well, when developing a training strategy for your shop.
THE WIDE WORLD OF AUTO REPAIR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
There are currently 9 areas of specialization for Automobile & Light Truck Certification through the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. These certifications are recognized across the industry, and chances are very good that many of your technicians hold an ASE certification in one of the following areas:
You may even have service technicians working towards mastery of areas 1-8, which will allow them to achieve a Master Technician credential. Or, your shop may be working towards, or hold, a repair shop ASE Blue Seal of Excellence.
Outside of the ASE certifications, however, a world of other training awaits your technicians. Some areas in which they may wish to focus their attention include:
- Hybrid and electric vehicle and other future-facing technologies
- Manufacturer-specific diagnostics and technology
- Diagnosis and maintenance of safety and driver assistance technology
- Diagnosis and maintenance of connectivity and information technology (GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, etc.)
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS – ONLINE AND IN-PERSON TRAINING
Training courses are usually provided in one of three formats – in person, live online, or as a recorded session. Each format has pros and cons for your team to consider, and your training plan will probably include a mix of formats delivered by a variety of different training companies.
Many automotive technicians are experiential learners, which means they pick up skills very well from in-person instruction which includes practical demonstrations of technical skills. Additionally, if you are providing in-person training to your employees, more than one employee can learn the same topic, at the same time, in a single session.
However, in the case of re-certifications or courses on more hands-off topics, you shouldn’t underestimate the convenience of online learning for busy employees. Online learning programs can allow employees across dispersed geographic locations to complete the same training, either all at once or as their schedules permit. And you really can’t beat the breadth of training topics that are available in a virtual format. For virtually every specialized area of focus in auto repair, there exists a reputable technician program online. For example, Motor Age offers 300+ online training courses, and Garage Gurus has more than 110 modules on everything from HVAC to shop safety.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR YOUR TECHNICIANS
To keep pace with a rapidly changing automotive industry, you must ensure that your auto technicians have the updated training and certifications they need to provide service to your customer base. If your technicians cannot service the latest and greatest vehicles, your profitability and reputation will suffer. But there are other benefits to having a technician training strategy in place at your shop as well.
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One of the key benefits of training is safety. As vehicles become more complex, it is essential that your employees have familiarity with current regulations, processes, and best practices to work safely with them. Safe approaches to repairing an ICE vehicle can differ from safe approaches to repairing an electric or hybrid vehicle, as different hazards exist under the hood.
Additionally, re-certification processes can help staff spot bad habits that have crept into their day-to-day practices, potentially preventing workplace injuries and accidents.
Another key benefit to a training strategy is that it improves employee recruitment and retention. In the recent 2023 Voice of Technician study by Wrench Way, a staggering 91% of technicians listed “paid training” as one of the top factors they looked for in an employer.
Offering training opportunities and a path to career growth will pay off in the caliber of employees you attract, and how willing they are to stay with your shop and build a long-term career with you. That’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
RUN AN EFFICIENT SHOP WITH R.O. WRITER AUTO SHOP MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
If you are running a shop full of forward-looking technicians who want to keep up with their industry, you are already on the path to lasting profitability and growth.
The next step is to support your team with tools and processes that make their day-to-day lives easier, so they can focus on activities that generate revenue and build customer satisfaction. Auto shop management software is a critical piece of this puzzle.
R.O. Writer’s latest Hybrid Cloud solution is the perfect software for technicians on the go. It gives your employees all the tools they need to perform and report on every facet of shop operations, from service writing, to estimating, tracking time, scheduling resources, maintaining stock levels, searching repair guides, accessing supplier catalogs, and ordering parts.
